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Religion, Power and Violence: Expression of Politics
in Contemporary Times IN the mid-twentieth century when the UN was effective and the balance of power was maintained, howsoever precariously (with the two superpowers checking each other’s belligerent tendencies), the focus was on socio-economic advancement of all nations. Unfortunately, that era seems to be gone. Power and violence have joined hands to create a new sinister culture of victimisation, and religion has become its handmaid. The deadly triangle of violence, power and religion has wreaked havoc in the lives of the innocent. These 17 essays by academicians, professionals and activists have been written against the backdrop of the 9/11 attacks on the WTC, US attacks on Afghanistan and Iraq, the Gujarat riots and the war on terrorism, with spotlight on India and Indian political scene. The editor, Ram Puniyani, a retired professor from the IIT, Mumbai, recounts briefly how violence has percolated down the social psyche and systematically divided the society. He looks at violence from the angles of fundamentalism, the politics of Hindutva, Islamic terrorism, hostility against the Dalits, gender violence and the Godhara incident. At the core of each issue is the relentless quest for power and exploitation of religious sentiments. The ultimate sufferer is the common man. Terrorism and religious fundamentalism are hydra-headed and generate hate, fear psychosis and psychological and emotional distress. In his essay, "Religion: Opium of the Masses Or ...", the editor locates the problem of violence in the wrong approach to religion. When religion serves vested interest, it loses its moral and ethical validity. Puniyani makes a fine distinction between "popular religion" and "state religion". The former is directly linked to the average people and has a human face, whereas, the latter is against change. The medieval Bhakti movement and the Sufi teachings are examples of religion with a human face. J. J. Roy Burman, in his paper, "Syncretism and Communal Harmony in Bengal", traces how Sufism and the Bhakti movement in Bengal created a tradition of communal co-existence. Syncretism aims at sinking differences and promoting tolerance. Burman avers: the pirs like Satya Pir and Manki Pir can be praised in the religious texts ... which Hindu housewives recite every day, what more evidence of syncretism is required?" Jawaid Quddus’s two essays, "Islam, Terrorism and the New World Order" and "Hindutva and Indian Diaspora" lash out at the fundamentalist forces that abet violence. Terrorism or any other form of fundamentalism creates a vicious circle of fear, hatred, violence and counter-violence. Communities become targets of distrust; a particular religion and its followers come under crossfire because of the acts of a small headstrong and fanatical minority. While Vibhuti Patel takes up the gender issue and Anand Teltumbde reflects on the Dalit interests, Prakash Louis deals with Hindutva and the weaker sections—the Adivasis, women, workers, minorities and the Dalits. The discussion veers round the assumption that since the core agenda of religion-based politics is to promote the interests of the elite and the middle class, the weaker sections are neglected and exploited. The tone of these papers, however, seems to be biased and one wishes these sensitive issues were tackled with more poise. A balanced view is discernible in Renu Jain’s essay that explodes the myth of educational backwardness of the Muslims. Fundamentalism is dangerous, be it in any garb, but it is equally perilous to make selective attacks on a religion and its leaders. The papers, while claiming to deconstruct some of the myths, reconstruct new myths that are just as hazardous. Religion-based politics jeopardises peace and the centuries-old traditions of peaceful co-existence. For this, all those who are involved are responsible. I wish that some other issues like rape, role of caste panchayats, fatwa, scams and power politics that shields criminals were also taken up. |
